It’s all about…The Lamb is a quarterly publication for followers of Yeshua/Jesus,
the Holy Lamb of God, and people who enjoy poetry. The purpose is to magnify our
Lord and Savior and inspire an ever-deepening relationship with Him, the lover
of our souls.

A-Poem-a-Day until Resurrection Sunday

On Ash Wednesday I
began posting a-poem-a-day on my blog, Maude’s Poems, and will continue doing
so throughout Lent until Resurrection Sunday. I also post a daily notification
on FaceBook with a link to the blog. I’ve been enjoying re-visiting some of my
old poems. Sometimes I change a word or two or three. Included in this edition
is a new poem, “Mary of Magdala”, which I am counting as today’s posting. Every
day, I carefully peruse Google Images to find an appropriate image to accompany
the poem. This often leads me into a devotional state of mind and becomes a meaningful
time of meditation and blessing.

In Loving Memoryof a Wonderful Poet

Linda Cronin - 1970-2016

It is with sadness that I announce that a fine poet and friend, Linda Ann Cronin, passed from this life on Friday, March 11th, from complications of arthritis. Linda was the daughter of Richard and Margaret Cronin. She lived most of her life in Cedar Grove, NJ. Linda received her BA degree from Loyola University and attended graduate school at Villanova University. She took part in many poetry workshops and was the author of "Dream Bones" a collection of her poems. She also received several awards for her work, including a first place award in the Allen Ginsberg contest.

Visitation will be Wednesday 2-4 and 7-9 pm, at Shook's Funeral Home, 486 Pompton Avenue, Cedar Grove. The funeral will be Thursday.

Congratulations, Poets!

Congratulations
to two of my poet/friends, Elizabeth Marchitti and Barbara Williams-Hubbard for
each winning an award for their poetry at the annual St. Catherine of Bologna
Art, Photography & Poetry Exhibition, held this past weekend in Ringwood,
NJ.

Featured Poets:

Ann Crediford & Suzanne I. Fischer

Ann Crediford grew up in Kentucky and West Virginia. She
was an agnostic until middle age, when she came to belief in the divinity of
Christ. For a long time Ann has enjoyed expressing her love for the Lord
through her poems and stories. She’s a former member of the North Jersey
Christian Writers Group.

“After tending
the flowers on my hillside garden for several years,” Ann says, “I noticed that
every year the flowers bloomed in the same sequence, starting with the
snowdrops and then the crocuses. The order of the flowers appearing reminds me
of the grandeur of God.” Ann’s featured poem is titled, “In Spring”.

Suzanne I. Fischer accepted Jesus as her Savior in 1979. “It
was difficult in the beginning,” she explained, “because I was the first in my
family to come to the Lord. My parents didn’t understand and gave me a hard
time. My love for the Bible grew and I continued to grow in the Lord. Years
later my mother also came to the Lord. She told me that she noticed a change in
me. My mother and I had always been close, so when she died in 2014, I wrote a
poem and read it at her memorial service.” That poem is called, “Things I’ll
Miss”.

+++ The Poems Follow +++

Image credit: growveg.com

IN SPRING

The crocus bells
of spring proclaim

that once again
our God intends

to bless the
earth another time

with every green
and lovely thing.

In ordered
sequence do appear

bold hyacinth
then violet,

forsythia and
daffodil,

narcissus,
tulip, flowering tree.

They’re here and
there upon the ground

and over and
about the town,

bright witnesses
for all to see,

clear tellers of
God’s majesty.

Ann Crediford

Image credit: quotesgram.com

THINGS I’LL MISS

The daily phone
calls

Whether long or
short

Listening to
your advice

All the things
we did together

Day trips to fun
places

Vacations near
and far

Your servant’s
heart

Always putting
others above yourself

Driving people
here and there—

And everywhere,
no matter how far

I’ll miss just
knowing you’re there whenever I need you.

Or being there
when you need me

But one day I’ll
see you again

In our eternal
home.

When we’ll be
praising our great God together,

Never again to
be separated!

Suzanne I.
Fischer

Image credit: rationalfaith.com

MARY OF MAGDALA

Mary of Magdala was privileged—

Like the disciples, she was among the few

who spent time with Jesus, followed Him

considered Him Teacher and Friend

She called Him, Rabboni

Jesus had set her free of demons

and she was grateful

for she had known darkness and terror

She and the brethren experienced

unconditional love from He

Who personified it, perfectly

No doubt Mary was there

when Jesus spoke of things

the multitudes yearned to know

things like eternity, death and resurrection

like the sign of Jonah

Still, neither she nor the disciples

had a clear understanding

of cosmic events that were about to unfold

Then suddenly everything whirled out of control

There were palm branches

hosannas and hallelujahs

that quickly turned to betrayal

abduction and a trial

There were shouts of

Crucify Him!
Crucify Him!

It was no longer safe

on the streets of Jerusalem

for His followers. They were fearful

Some went into hiding

Jesus was Crucified—

Mary rent her garments and wailed

Full of sorrow, what could she do

except go early the day after the Sabbath

with other women to anoint His dead body

but when they arrived at the tomb

It was empty and His body was gone

Angels were there

Angels, who spoke of resurrection

but Mary was weeping and bewildered

She couldn’t grasp resurrection—

All she could think about was

Where was His body?

Who took His body away?

Then Rabboni appeared to her

He called her by name, but

still, she couldn’t comprehend

how Him standing there, speaking to her

could possibly be true—

Wasn’t He dead?

She simply could not fathom

that the greatest knowledge

ever to befall anyone, anytime, anywhere

befell upon her at that moment

This was not a time for weeping—

This was the time for rejoicing!

She extended her hand to touch Rabboni—

He was Alive!

He was risen from
the grave!

Jesus told her to go tell His disciples

so Mary quickly hurried off to tell them

she had seen the
Lord!

Yes, it was beginning to sink in—

The sin of the world was atoned for

by Jesus’ death on the Cross

and by His glorious Resurrection

He became the Firstfruit

of Life Forevermore!

Alleluia!

Maude Carolan Pych

**You are welcome to share the above poems with others, but please always be sure to include the author's name.

Comments are always welcome and appreciated. If
possible, please post them directly to the website. Thank you.

Look
for the next edition of It’s all about…the Lamb, June 15,
2016. In the meantime, I update my blog at least once a week, so visit the website
often at: http://maudespoems.com.

A FEW CLOSING WORDS…

Dear Reader/Subscriber,

My prayer
is for every one of you to have a joyous and holy Resurrection Sunday.

Jesus’
resurrection from death is what gives us hope for Eternity. What blessed
assurance that is for believers! Praise the Risen Lord!

About the Poet

I'm a former newspaper reporter who now writes inspirational poetry and poems to record family history. A four-time finalist and three-time recipient of Editor's Choice Awards in the national Allen Ginsberg contest, I've twice won awards for poetry at the St. Catherine of Bologna Art Exhibition, Ringwood, NJ. My poems have appeared in "The Paterson Literary Review," "Sensations Magazine," "Lips," "The Pillar Monthly" and William W. Francis' book, "Celebrate the Feasts of the Lord." I'm a member of the North Jersey Christian Writer's Group and Ringwood Manor Association of the Arts. I have recently published a 411-page memoir in poetry. It's titled, "Wonderhoods." My chapbooks include "God's Square Mile--Poems about Ocean Grove", "A Pilgrim's Quest--A Poet Visits the Holy Land"; "From My Heart to Yours at Christmas--Cookies & Poems," and "The Widow's Song." A mom and grandmom, I remarried in 2006, and reside in the Garden State with my husband, Robert. Born again believers, we worship at Beth Israel Worship Center, Wayne, where I serve as a deaconess.